The 2023 JDRF Tee to Table event will take place on May 5th at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay. Each year at this special event, JDRF honors and celebrates members of the community who have shown exceptional commitment to our mission and the well-being of our type 1 diabetes (T1D) community. This year we are thrilled to highlight a group of passionate activists: JDRF Northern California Advocates.

JDRF Advocates help build and sustain critical support for T1D research funded by the Federal government by raising awareness among Members of Congress of the financial, medical and emotional costs of the disease. They use their voices and share their stories to help inform health and regulatory policy and improve the quality of life for those affected by T1D until we find cures. Here are just some of the recent accomplishments that could not have happened without these grassroots volunteers:

• March 2023 – Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi all announced reductions to the prices of their insulins—including the most used insulins, like Humalog, Novolog, and Lantus.
• Summer 2022 – Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law, includes a $35/mo. insulin co-pay cap for Medicare beneficiaries.
• Summer 2021 – JDRF helps plan and participates in a workshop with FDA & EMA on regulatory pathways for disease modifying therapies.
• March 2021 – Those with T1D prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination.
• December 2020 – Congress passes a three-year, $450M Special Diabetes Program (SDP) renewal to fund T1D research.
• July 2020 – United Healthcare expands coverage to all types of insulin pumps.
• 2017 – 2019 – JDRF helped ensure major health plans pass savings from pharmaceutical companies directly onto patients.
• January 2017 – Medicare covers continuous glucose monitors (CGMs); June 2018, policy expanded to include use of smart devices in conjunction with CGMs.
• September 2016 – JDRF led the process to define the FDA pathway for Artificial Pancreas (AP) systems studies and product review accelerating the approval of AP systems.

JDRF Advocates are busy throughout the year in their hometowns with campaigns such as Promise to Remember Me and New Member Outreach Initiative. In Washington D.C., JDRF Advocates meet with senators and representatives on Capitol Hill for JDRF Government Day each spring, and the JDRF Children’s Congress every two years in the summer. We are pleased to introduce our 2023 JDRF Children’s Congress Delegates.

JDRF Advocates will be wearing blue ribbons at the Tee to Table event. You can too! Learn more and sign up to be an Advocate today at jdrf.org/advocacy.  

Tee to Table is a premier golf, tennis and evening culinary experience on the beautiful California coast. The event features a golf scramble on the Ocean Course and a 24-person round-robin tennis tournament, followed by cocktails, a gourmet dinner, presentation of the Impact Award, live auction, Fund A Cure program, and dancing in the ballroom! Leaders and families of Silicon Valley and beyond come together for this fun and relaxed fundraising event. Join us for any or all activities!